As with flamingos, the species' brilliant color comes from
pigment in the bodies of crustaceans on which it feeds. The color of
its strikingly bright plumage becomes more intense as the scarlet
ibis gets older. Chicks are primarily brown in color, slowly
changing to the adult red by their second year. The ibis' long
curved beak is used to probe for food in the mud and shallow water,
guided mostly by touch. Scarlet ibis congregate in large numbers,
particularly when resting. Both parents cooperate in nest building
and in caring for the young.